Empress Xiaokangzhang

Empress Xiaokangzhang (1638 – 20 March 1663), of the Manchu Bordered Yellow Banner Tunggiya clan, was the concubine of the Shunzhi Emperor and mother of the Kangxi Emperor during the Qing dynasty. She was honoured as Empress Dowager Cihe during the reign of her son and was posthumously honoured as empress, although she never held the rank during her lifetime.

Life Family background Empress Xiaokangzhang's personal name was not recorded in history. Her family originally belonged to the Han Chinese Plain Blue Banner from Fushun in Liaoning, but managed to reclassify themselves as Manchu.

Father: Tulai (; 1606–1658), served as a first rank military official , and held the title of a first class duke Paternal grandfather: Yangzhen (? – 1621) Mother: Lady Gioro (覺羅氏) Three brothers First younger brother: Guoji Second younger brother: Guogang (? – 1690), served as a first rank military official (都统), and held the title of first class duke (一等公) Third younger brother: Guowei (? – 1719), served as leader of the Imperial Guards , and held the title of a first class duke ; the father of Empress Xiaoyiren (? – 1689) and Imperial Noble Consort Quehui (1668–1743)

The Han Chinese Tong (佟) clan of Fushun in Liaoning, from whom Kangxi's mother descends, falsely claimed to be related to the Manchu Tunggiya (佟佳) clan of Jilin, using this false claim to get themselves transferred to a Manchu banner in the reign of the Kangxi Emperor. However the private genealogical records of the Fushun Tong clan actually demonstrate Han ancestry from the Central Plains, contrary to their later claims of Manchu ancestry, later reclassification as Manchu bannerman, and the official Qing records. Shunzhi era In 1653, Lady Tong entered the Forbidden City and became a concubine of the Shunzhi Emperor. She never received any title or rank during his reign. On 4 May 1654, she gave birth to the emperor's third son, Xuanye.

Kangxi era When the Shunzhi Emperor died on 5 February 1661, Xuanye was chosen to be the new emperor and was enthroned as the Kangxi Emperor. As the biological mother of the reigning emperor, Lady Tong was honoured as "Holy Mother, Empress Dowager Cihe".

Lady Tong died on 20 March 1663. Her death was reportedly due to an unknown illness but the circumstances surrounding her death were suspicious. Although she had never been empress during the reign of the Shunzhi Emperor, she was granted the posthumous title "Empress Xiaokangzhang". She was interred in the Xiao Mausoleum alongside the Shunzhi Emperor and Consort Donggo.

Titles During the reign of Hong Taiji (r. 1626–1643): Lady Tong (佟氏) During the reign of the Kangxi Emperor (r. 1661–1722): Empress Dowager Cihe (; from 5 February 1661) Empress Xiaokang (; from June/July 1663) Empress Xiaokangzhang (; from June/July 1670)

Issue As concubine: Xuanye (; 4 May 1654 – 20 December 1722), the Shunzhi Emperor's third son; enthroned on 5 February 1661 as the Kangxi Emperor

In popular culture Portrayed by Chen Farong in The Duke of Mount Deer (2000) Portrayed by Zhu Yan in Kangxi Dynasty (2001) Portrayed by Jia Yumeng in Xiaozhuang Mishi (2003)